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Simpsons voices sign, 20th season official

By Tim Surette - TV.com
June 3, 2008 at 11:11:00 AM | more stories by this author

Fox shells out cash for comedy's voice actors, announces historic season the following day.

The question wasn't whether or not there was going to be another season of The Simpsons; the question was how much it was going to cost Fox.

Dough!

Dough!

The animated show is one of Fox's staples and has been every year since it debuted in 1989. Its importance goes way beyond Sunday night ratings; the property makes a ton of its cash off licensing, endorsements, and merchandise.

So when the actors who provide many of the show's recognizable voices balked at continuing without a little more "incentive," Fox's hands were tied and it was forced to open up its wallet. And open its wallet it did.

The network will be handing checks for $400,000 per episode to each major voice actor of The Simpsons, says Variety. That's a bump from their $300,000-plus salaries from last season, but less than the actors' asking price of half a million dollars.

The Simpsons actors who can now afford to buy a new Rolls Royce after every episode include Hank Azaria (Moe, Apu), Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Julie Kavner (Marge), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), and Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders).

The decision was a no-brainer for Fox, but the late agreement does mean that season 20 will be short a couple of episodes. Variety reports that the upcoming season will lose a couple of shows and clock in around 20 episodes for the season instead of the normal 22.

With the cast locked into place, Fox thought it would be a good time to officially announce the show's 20th season, extending its record as the longest-running primetime animated series in history and tying with Gunsmoke as the longest-running regularly scheduled series in television history.

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41 Comments

 
AlucardsFate
*Yawn* The Simpsons lost their touch 9 seasons ago...(I still rather watch classic Simpsons then almost anything else) But the past 10 seasons have been terrible...and I'd rather watch almost anything else...
Posted 07/09/2008 11:23pm
diablo_del_bano
wow. 20 seasons! I can't believe it took them THIS long to make a movie spin off though...
Posted 07/09/2008 11:38am
elvato87
If they change the voice actors would you still wath the show? Here in Mexico the voice actors were changed a while back, it took some time to get used to the new voices, but the show is still good and i still watch it. it helps that the voices are similar to the original ones
Posted 07/09/2008 10:36am
xxsitcomsxx
That's awesome I love the simpsons!! YAY!! One of the greatest shows ever created!!
I have to say though, there is only so long they can keep this going, they can't still be having winning ides episode after episode! If they are they're bloody geniuses!!
GO SIMPSONS WHOO!!
XxkissessxX
Posted 06/30/2008 3:54am
JeliRoll90
The Simpsons is the best show ever. Whoever says that the new episodes aren't as good cannot call themselves a true Simpsons fan. I watched this show growing up, and believe it or not, I learned a lot from the Simpsons. In 11th grade, I studied for my lit test on Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven by watching the first Treehouse of Horror and got an A. Take that all you people who think the Simpsons is a stupid show!
Posted 06/27/2008 4:30pm
TVTater234
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Posted 06/17/2008 2:08pm
Daddytrucker
I don't care what other people say, the Simpsons is still good. There are a lot of other TV shows that need to go before the Simpsons does. It's still funny and much better that other shows on right now.
Posted 06/13/2008 4:18pm
cna97
Hard to believe that the Simpsons have been around for 20 seasons. May the Simpsons have many more seasons yet to come.
Posted 06/11/2008 12:54pm
WBadger42
I hope this isn't the last season!
Posted 06/11/2008 10:17am
kdtfiles
I'm glad it is going longer, hope they make even more seasons.
Posted 06/09/2008 9:00am
vishus1990
That is alot of money per episode, but the guys in the end probably deserve, judging by the time that goes in to making it and also how great the Simpsons is, some credit has to go down to the voices behind the characters.
Posted 06/09/2008 1:11am
westcoastwillam
I am very happy that there is going to be another season of the simpsons but the whole pay thing is outrageous that's way to much moeny for some rather crappy episodes these past few seasons
Posted 06/06/2008 4:30pm
zhackwyatt
Those guys sure are greedy. 400,000 for one episode is many more than most people make in a year. They don't do 8 million dollars worth of work.

I do love the Simpsons though.
Posted 06/06/2008 11:45am
spears5
THE SIMPSONS IS THE BEST DAMN SHOW EVER, EVERYONE WHO INSLUTS THE SIMPSON DEALS WITH ME CONSULT CHRIS CROCKER VID ON YOUTUBE REPLACE BRIT WITH SIMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 06/06/2008 3:44am
shengongwu3000
I really don't care much about the Simpsons anymore ever since I realize how much the series has changed. Family Guy is better than the Simpsons. I totally wish the show ends or else the Simpsons will last until the "end of time."
Posted 06/05/2008 2:53pm
Torus_333
400,000 per episode? That's a lot of money!
Posted 06/05/2008 6:28am
ahhgoobras
pgsuperfan said: show is getting tired time to give it a rest lol

And thats coming from a person that has a icon from LOST That show got old after 2 episodes the actors deserve the money they have been working for 21 or 22 years THATS GREAT keep it going and going and going and going.
Posted 06/05/2008 1:49am
Tru_Slayer
I'll never get tired of The Simpsons.
Posted 06/04/2008 8:57pm
tvssecondchild
FOX is lucky to have such a stable show that's lasted so long and not having to worry about what to put in its time slot. Some of the episodes haven't been as good as in the past, but it's hard to argue that The Simpson's don't symbolic an iconic American culture. And those complaining about the money, 300,000+ isn't as much as The Seinfeld cast was earning in Season 9, nor Friends in the final seasonsso keep things in perspective.
Posted 06/04/2008 4:15pm
Azwethinkweiz89
The best are behind them, but at least it's still better then Family Guy.
Posted 06/04/2008 11:44am
techie775
That's just disgusting. The show's not even that interesting or funny anymore. Every time I see a new episode I just think they've already done it before. I stopped really caring after the 14th season.
Posted 06/04/2008 11:11am
PerfectDark0Fan
they got a 4 year deal and Dan Castenella becomes Consultant Producer http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i1c16b1977c35ad0b7e1ca0230b62ca88
Posted 06/04/2008 9:24am
Kadodian
Simpsons !!!!!!! I love them I really hope they go on forever
Posted 06/04/2008 8:02am
LAURAMARIE63
It's all about the Benjamins.
Posted 06/04/2008 6:17am
Maj_Wood
the only reason that you lot want it to go is cause they're not swearing at every turn and there's not any sex in every ep!
Posted 06/04/2008 1:19am
themuckster
They really need to call it quits, Simpsons is crap now, has been for like 10 years.
Posted 06/04/2008 12:25am
VenomRitual
i would prefer more movies.
Posted 06/03/2008 11:13pm
PerfectDark0Fan
This is good news. No more shoten seasons. I hope The Simpsons stays long enough to stay and beat L&O.

The Simpsons & American Dad are the only 2 good shows on Sunday night. Its better then watching the reality shows its competing with like Surviver & Extreme Makeover.
Posted 06/03/2008 8:39pm
detroitfan17
19 Seasons down, at LEAST 1 more season to go....

They have passed:

The Honeymooners
The Flintstones
Friends
Cheers
Home Improvement
Frasier
Seinfeld
M*A*S*H

They are going to be tied with (or barely beating)

Cops
Oprah
America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back
Gunsmoke
Johnny Carson

................................

This show does NOT to need to go. Whoever says it needs to go, THEY need to go....

All I have to say is:

Look out Sesame Street, you're next!!!!!!!!!

I say "The Simpsons" will be on as long as
Posted 06/03/2008 7:29pm
edmasterchaos
yay, they reached season 20! that's a big number to hit!! awsome! ...
now can they stop mutilating the show that was once one of the greatest things of tv? ._.
Posted 06/03/2008 6:55pm
little_magelly
Wow, this show just keeps going and going...
*watches energizer bunny go by* Yup.
Posted 06/03/2008 4:04pm
THEJELLYBEAN66
I gotta agree with Jackson_H...It's not as good as it was back in the day but it really is a lot better than some of the other garbage on TV. Simpsons rule!
Posted 06/03/2008 3:58pm
Jackson_Holtorp
The Simpsons rule! True the quality hasn't been as superb as it use to be but it's still A LOT better than most shows on TV.
Posted 06/03/2008 3:38pm
Water78
how much more is fox willing to pay when the voice cast wants more
Posted 06/03/2008 3:05pm
mchris41
*whap* Take that dead horse.
Posted 06/03/2008 2:51pm
tubalcane420
If they only make twenty episodes a year, the writers and animators will be able to spend more time on each episode. Probably will end up being a good thing.
Posted 06/03/2008 2:42pm
eetansk
I don't get it. Why would the actors even want that much money? What could they possibly do with so much fricken' money? Too greedy they are.
Posted 06/03/2008 2:14pm
telvisnostic
It needs to leave my TV.
Posted 06/03/2008 2:07pm
pgsuperfan
show is getting tired time to give it a rest lol
Posted 06/03/2008 1:49pm
mof123
screw you dude simpsons are divine
Posted 06/03/2008 1:47pm
tennisrobe26
w/e this needs to go.
Posted 06/03/2008 12:30pm

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